Some women pull off their makeup perfectly, but you probably know by now that there is plenty of room for error. Makeup is an art form and it takes years to really get the hang of it. Fortunately you’ve learned all the basics from growing up, but maybe some of the more advanced lessons are a little bit lost on you. Well, that’s not terribly surprising; even the most seasoned makeup wearers don’t know everything.

What we can do for you today, however, is make sure that you have a handle on some of the more critical basics, and that you’re ready to take out your makeup bag with confidence. Take a look at these common makeup mistakes and try to avoid doing them in the future.

Mistake #1: Getting the Blush Too Low

You want to add a rosy hue to your face, but what you’re doing is putting blush on the lower part of your cheek and making your makeup look overdone. Plus, it can really drag your face down and that’s just not something you want. If you want to make a real impact, try using a contouring brush and apply the color to the ‘apples’ of your cheeks. Don’t slather the entire side of your face in blush, no matter how tempting it might seem.

Mistake #2: Going Right to the Lipstick

Okay, this is a huge and very common mistake, and we know why you’re doing it. You’ve always been told to just apply your lipstick and you’ve seen plenty of women placing it on their bare lips, so why wouldn’t you? Well, you probably have primer in your makeup bag, and you’ve probably been under the impression that you only need to use it on your face. It turns out, applying primer to your lips will make your lipstick last much longer and it will help you to avoid drying your lips out. Funny how that works, right?

Mistake #3: Using a Sponge for Foundation

We want to clarify that this mistake is committed using both a finger AND a sponge. There are so many people who tend to do both and here’s the problem: you’re going to get a really, really uneven application. Also, while sponges are nice, they soak up a lot of the product, meaning you’re wasting money as well as foundation, and you don’t want to do that. If you really want your makeup to look great, invest in a good foundation brush.

Are you making any of these mistakes? If so, try using our tips and getting yourself on the right track – makeup is an art and you’re going to have a lot of fun learning the more advanced techniques, we guaranteed it.